Tope Oshin
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has cancelled the election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area in the Saturday’s Bayelsa State governorship election.
INEC said the decision was taken because of violence, the abduction of electoral officials and ballot box snatching.
A new date for the election will be announced later.
In the results announced for the 7 local councils, incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson has 105,748 votes, while Timipre Sylva of the APC has 72, 594 votes.
Southern Ijaw voters are expected to decide the winner.
Kpagi who read a statement at about 4:30 pm at the collation centre where the results of the other seven local government areas had earlier been announced, said the decision to cancel the election was as a result of irregularities in the conduct of the election in the affected area.
“Reports of the election conducted in the Southern Ijaw local government area on the 6th of December, 2015, revealed that the election was essentially marred with violence, including reports from political parties, Observers, both local and foreign. This falls short of the internationally acceptable threshold for credible elections.
“Consequently, the Commission has decided in the integrity of the process, to cancel the election in the Southern Ijaw local government area. A new date for the conduct of the election in Southern Ijaw will be announced in due course,” he read.
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